


Light One Candle

by Ninja_Librarian



Series: Shidgemas 2018 [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Day 2: Candelight/Starlight, Established Relationship, F/M, Hanukkah, Post S7, Shidgemas 2018, The Holt House is Interfaith, takes place on earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 05:19:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17037383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninja_Librarian/pseuds/Ninja_Librarian
Summary: Shidgemas Day 2: Candelight/StarlightIt's the first night of Hanukkah, and Shiro is running late. Will he make it by sundown?





	Light One Candle

Shiro was running late and Pidge was going to kill him.

Or at least be sad. Or disappointed. Or sad and disappointed _and_ wanted to kill him.

Shiro grit his teeth and glanced fervently at the clock on the wall, then out the window. The sun was going to set soon, and it’d be time to light the first candle, to begin Hanukkah.

With Colleen being raised Jewish, and Sam being raised Christian, they had raised Matt and Pidge in an interfaith household and celebrated Jewish holidays as well as Christian ones.

Shiro knew how much both religions’ holidays meant to Pidge, and especially how it brought her family together. And this was to be an extra special Hanukkah.

This was the first Hanukkah since they had returned to and freed Earth. He knew that Pidge was especially looking forward to spending the holiday with her family and friends. How the meaning of Hanukkah was even more special given the time between the last time she had celebrated and now: her family was reunited, for one thing, and the Hanukkah story was rooted in the belief of fighting for what is right even with the odds against you. And the odds had definitely been stacked against them several times over the last few years as they fought for what is right.

But Shiro wasn’t going to make it to the Holt’s house in time for sundown if he never got out of this blasted trade agreement meeting.

“—Shirogane?”

Shiro snapped out of his thoughts. “Pardon?”

He ignored the glare coming from Iverson, focused instead on the angry alien Prime Minster who huffed and said, “Are we boring you, Captain Shirogane? Is this trade deal not important enough for you and your people?”

“I assure you, sir, that this deal is very important to Earth as well as your planet,” Shiro said. “However, our negotiations have exceeded our scheduled meeting time by—” He glanced at the clock again and said, “Three vargas, twenty-nine dobosohs and forty-nine ticks. While this treaty is undeniably valuable for both parties, I admit that I have other pressing matters on my mind. This not only includes my work here at the Galaxy Garrison, but that tonight begins a special cultural and religious holiday for my partner. And that I do not want to disappoint her or show disrespect by arriving late to celebrate something that has great personal significance for her.”

Iverson’s glare softened with realization though the alien Prime Minister’s did not.

“That’s right,” Iverson said, leaning back in his chair. “I remember now, Sam requested permission to leave early for the next week. Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir,” Shiro confirmed.

Iverson nodded. “Sam always requests permission to leave early during Hanukkah.”

 “So you would rather abandon pressing matters of business to take part in frivolous celebration?” The Prime Minster huffed.

Shiro stood up, hands on the table, eyes narrowed. “The Earth holiday known as Hanukkah is not a frivolous celebration. Hanukkah celebrates a military victory, in which an oppressive regime was overthrown, allowing the Jewish people to reclaim their religious freedom. I would think that, given the circumstances that have allowed us to have this meeting in the first place, you would be somewhat more understanding and accepting of my desire to go and celebrate. Or have you forgotten what it is like to celebrate being free from the reign of the Galra Empire?”

The Prime Minster at least had the decency to look abashed.

“Captain Shirogane is correct,” Iverson said, gathering up his papers. “Which is why I suggest we adjourn signing the final document for the next eight days—the length of Hanukkah. This will give us all enough time to re-evaluate the treaty and for you and your government to add any more conditions to the treaty—more than you already have in the last five hours.” To Shiro he said, “Go on. I’ll finish up here. Tell the Holts ‘Happy Hanukkah’ for me.”

Shiro nodded, relief flooding him, but resisting the urge to run out of the room. “Thank you, sir. I will, sir.”

As soon as he was out the door and it closed behind him, he was running to his office. He quickly gathered his things, but took the time to send Pidge a quick text.

**To Kit-Kat: Finally released from the meeting from hell. Will be there ASAP.**

**From Kit-Kat: Drive safely! Love you!**

Shiro rushed to his car, cranked the engine, and…

The blood drained from his face as the car refused to start, making a horrible _click-click-click_ noise.

“Oh, come on,” He groaned, smacking his forehead on the steering wheel. He didn’t have time for a dead battery…

Shiro took a deep breath. “Patience yields focus.” He told himself. He grabbed the jumper cables from the back, then rushed back into the Garrison building to find anyone who would be willing to give him a jump start. Fortunately, another instructor was on her way out and when Shiro explained the situation quickly agreed to bring her car over for him to do a jump start.

As Shiro waited for her to pull her car around, he sent another text to Pidge.

**To Kit-Kat: Minor delay. Battery died. Getting jump start now. Will be there ASAP.**

**From Kit-Kat: Oh no! Call me if the jump start doesn’t work, I’ll come get you.**

Shiro heaved a sigh, glancing at the sky. The sun was going to set all too soon…

Fortunately, the jump start worked and, after profusely thanking his coworker, Shiro was on the road, driving towards the Holt’s house.

He was on the interstate for about ten minutes out of a twenty-minute drive when all of a sudden he saw only a sea of brake lights before him.

His heart sank. No one was moving forward on the stretch of road. He was stuck.

Quickly, Shiro turned on the radio, catching the local news station reporting that a trailer had overturned while getting off at an exit. No one was hurt, but it was blocking both the exit and two lanes of the interstate, hence why the interstate was now a parking lot.

Shiro hit his head against the steering wheel.

The exit was the one he needed to get off on. He might be able to get off on the exit before, but who knew when he’d make it to even there?

But it would definitely be after the sun set.

With a sigh Shiro pulled out his phone and sent another text to Pidge.

**To Kit-Kat: Traffic is literally at a stop on the interstate. Won’t make it before sundown. Light the Menorah without me.**

He tossed his phone in the passenger seat, resting his forearms on the steering wheel and his head on his arms, feeling like a complete and utter failure.

Shiro really wanted to curl up into a ball and cry.

Cry because he was so full of frustration for all the hang ups and issues of the day.

Cry because he wanted nothing more than to be with Katie right now.

Cry because he didn’t want her to be upset.

Cry because he was letting down the most important person in his life.

Finally, traffic began to move and Shiro drove on, flipping on his headlights as the sky got darker and darker.

By the time he pulled into the Holt’s house, it was completely dark outside.

He glanced at the bay window, where the candlelight from the two lit candles in the Menorah flickered and gleamed like starlight.

Shiro climbed out of the car, hands in his pockets as he slunk up to the front door, quietly opening it.

Inside the house, he could smell frying latkes and laughter, someone—Romelle, if he had to guess—squealing in delight as they played Dreidel.

Shiro saw a small wicker basket on the hall table that held one lonely black kippa. His heart twanged again as he grabbed it, quickly putting it on. He remembered how happy Pidge had been when she showed him the kippot she had acquired for this year’s Hanukkah celebration. She had found one in blue for Lance, a red one for Keith, yellow for Hunk, and a white one for Kolivan. The black was for Shiro, with a comment from Pidge about how he always looked good in black.

Shiro lingered in the entryway for a moment, watching as his friends were gathered in a circle on the floor, chocolate coin gelt stacked in piles.

“Hey, you made it.”

Shiro turned to see Pidge, smiling faintly at seeing her wearing her favorite Hanukkah sweater, in shades of blue with a golden anthropomorphic latke on the chest that declared “Live Laugh Latke”.

“Hey,” Shiro said softly. “Sorry I’m late.”

Pidge took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “It’s not your fault. You got here as soon as you could.”

“But I wanted to be here,” Shiro said, trying hard not to whine. “I wanted to be with you. I know how important Hanukkah is to you. You’ve been talking about it for weeks. I just… I wanted to be here. To celebrate with you.”

Pidge took his other hand, looking up at him with her beautiful brown-sugar eyes, a gaze full of love. “Shiro. Do you know what one of the things that I absolutely love about Hanukkah is? Especially compared to Christmas?”

“Beating Matt at Dreidel?”

“Well, yeah, that, but there’s several other things,” Pidge said. “And one of those things is that Christmas is only one day to spend time with friends and family. But Hanukkah is eight days long. So you know what that means? That means eight days to spend with friends and family. Maybe you weren’t here to light the Menorah tonight. But we have seven more days to be together and celebrate the light and love. And, yes, you were late tonight but you’re here now. That’s what’s important.”

She stood on her toes and Shiro leaned down to meet her halfway in a kiss.

“ _Hanukkah Sameach_ , Katie,” Shiro whispered when they parted.

“ _Hanukkah Sameach,_ Takashi.” Pidge whispered back. “Come on, let’s go eat some latkes and doughnuts.”

Shiro smiled as they went to do just that, his stomach growling as he realized just how hungry he was.

He was starting to wish Hanukkah could last forever.


End file.
